


Steady Hands

by ShinjiShazaki



Series: "Request" Fics [4]
Category: Bloodborne (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, request fic, silly bit of flirting and Maria getting flustered
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 08:01:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27347809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShinjiShazaki/pseuds/ShinjiShazaki
Summary: Maria believes she has the steadiest, surest hands at Bygenwerth.Avena can prove otherwise.(Part of theFor Want of a Boutuniverse)
Relationships: The Hunter/Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower
Series: "Request" Fics [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2170344
Comments: 2
Kudos: 43





	Steady Hands

**Author's Note:**

> A "request" fic from [elbaecartnu](https://twitter.com/elbaecartnu) on twitter! Couldn't resist some Maria/Avena fluff.

If ever she could not find Avena on campus, Maria knew to check Byrgenwerth’s archives. Though she could be found in the library section most of the time, diligently working through rune translations, Maria would sometimes find her in the restoration rooms in the lower levels. On those days, Maria would knock on the door gently, wait for Avena to look up, and smile as she realized what time it was and blushed up to her ears. It was always a pleasure to see Avena blush, and Maria savored every opportunity she had. When she arrived earlier than usual one day, she held up a hand to keep Avena from taking off her work gloves.

“I have not actually seen you do this work,” Maria said. “Would you let me watch?”

“Oh, of course,” Avena said. She looked at the tapestry she was working on, looked around her feet, and finally pointed to her left. “Could you stand there? I’ve worked that area already so I won’t bump into you.”

Maria nodded, bowing slightly, and moved to stand beside her. She kept her arms crossed behind her back and peered at the tapestry. She knew neither the runes peppering the tapestry’s surface nor the strange shapes that were gathered around a great flame, but she could appreciate the vividness of the tapestry’s colors and the crispness of the rune stitching. As she watched, Avena worked on restitching more of the runes, checking a loose piece of notepaper every so often. The steadiness of her hands was remarkable, as was her focus.

“What does it say, my Hunter?” Maria asked.

“It’s telling a story of a beast hunt,” Avena replied. “There are quite a few tapestries like this, old relics from all the great nations, warning others about the strength of beasts while singing their own praises for surviving. Master Laurence and I worked on identifying the runes that needed restoring and I’m working the stitching. He’ll handle that burned section at the bottom.”

“How does one stitch runes like this?” She pointed toward a set of runes, biting back a laugh when Avena leaned over to look at them more closely. When Avena suddenly turned away, she stared. She continued to stare when Avena retrieved a piece of tapestry, cut away from the rest, and set it before her.

“Tapestries are always written in kin runes,” Avena said, “so luckily it’s stitching the largest versions of them.” She offered the tapestry piece, a heavy needle, and thick thread with a smile. “Try stitching ‘hunter.’”

It was a challenge, small though it was, and Maria took everything with confidence in her smile. The confidence began to fade as she struggled to keep the stitching even, steady, or even in the basic shape of the hunter’s rune. She refused to set anything down before trying again, but her second attempt was, in fact, worse than the first and set a fire of frustration in her chest. Avena laughed, wonderfully kind, when she saw the misshapen stitching and Maria’s dark frown.

“It’s all right,” she said. “No one gets tapestry stitching right the first go around. It’d be easier on a frame, but it’s still doable. Here.”

Maria meant to hand everything to her. Avena ignored it in favor of going to stand behind Maria, bringing her arms around her. Despite being unable to look over Maria’s shoulder, she took her hands and arranged the tapestry piece and needle easily.

“Stitching is the same as writing runes,” Avena said, and she started to guide Maria’s hands through the stitching. “You have to understand the intent of the rune and keep your hands as steady as possible.”

It was astonishing to Maria how cool Avena’s hands managed to remain despite the heavy material of her work gloves. She longed, at that moment, to stop them and take her hands, enfold them in her own for warmth. Despite it, the constant, easy pace Avena worked was astounding. When Avena moved closer, bracing Maria’s arms with her own and tightening her grip on her hands, there was a trace of possessiveness in her.

It was uncommon, even then with so much between them. Uncommon, and sudden enough that a thrill went up Maria’s spine. She marveled at how Avena stitched using her hands, so dexterous and quick that it seemed like magic for how much she had struggled on her own. A touch of shame lingered in her for such miserable stitching, but what put a blush on her face was how easy Avena made it seem without even looking at their hands.

With guidance, Maria stitched six runes into the piece of tapestry, each more complex than the last. She openly gaped when Avena capped off their session by perfectly stitching, still blind, the Heir rune. Even when Avena let her go and stepped to her side, she stared at the stitching.

“How on earth did you do this?” Maria asked. “Is this a common practice for rune scholars?”

“Blind stitching?” Avena said. “Yes, if you work restorations. I’ve practiced since I came to Byrgenwerth, so it’s not difficult to stitch those.” Smiling, she added, “Once I can blind stitch the Lake variants and Oedon Writhe, I’ll be satisfied.”

Maria stared at her outright. “I am aware of Lake, but which is Oedon Writhe?”

Avena fetched a blank piece of notepaper and a pen and drew the rune, what looked to Maria like a tangled mess of curves. She looked at it, and then at Avena.

“You will _stitch_ this?” she asked. “Without looking? _How_?”

“The same way you can parry Ludwig without looking,” Avena laughed. “Practice.”

“But—is such an absurd practice _needed_ for restoration work?”

Avena laughed again, taking off her gloves. She said, “Yes, and I’ll be happy to explain over dinner. Anything to keep that look of consternation on your face a while longer.”

“You are enjoying this.”

“Of course I am,” she said, a wicked little smile on her face.

**Author's Note:**

> If you're interested in getting in on "request" fics, take a gander at my pinned tweet on [my twitter](https://twitter.com/shinjishazaki) for more info!


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